Connections

Perhaps its the field that I'm looking into, but I see connections as more of a 'help me learn this' way of going about it.

Since telling folks that I plan to work in publishing, a bunch of people have said "I know this person" or "Try this person"... and while I'm grateful, I feel I can interview at a publishing company and intern there, without necessarily knowing someone. I feel I'll be able to make an impression without it.

However, It'll be much different when I want to publish my own work. My top 'connections' would be the local authors I know, and it wouldnt be asking for their help in breaking into the field, but more like "Hey, can you show me how you did this, so that I can do it for myself?" or asking for suggestions and a guiding hand. Anything beyond that could be up to them (IE: takling to their publisher/agent about helping me out), but I wouldnt ask for it, because I wouldnt necessarily always have it.

Jam it back in, in the dark.